tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73269480336372738202024-02-22T06:32:43.687-08:00Archie's GardenArchie is a monarch butterfly who lives in a garden in Mar Vista, CA. Come visit our digital garden and learn how to start your own butterfly patch! Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-11384292854213343522014-06-01T12:22:00.001-07:002014-06-01T12:27:46.833-07:00How To Train Your Dragonfly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly">Dragonflies</a> are one of nature's best fliers--they can hover, track vertically up and down, and even fly backwards--at speeds of up to 30 miles an hour. They make swift turns and catch insects mid-air, so capturing and training your own dragonfly could be very useful for trips that require speed, agility, and rapid turns. Plus, dragonflies are neat-looking, so flying around on one would make you the coolest kid on the block.<br />
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It's very simple to obtain your own dragonfly. First, make a sign like this one and put it in your garden:<br />
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This tells the dragonflies that you have opened a dragonfly airport. The dragonflies will stop over between their flights; then, just buy a ticket and fly to your chosen destination! Easy, right?<br />
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There's only one problem: dragonflies can't read.<br />
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You'd also need to find a REALLY BIG dragonfly if you wanted to ride one. The prehistoric ancestors of the dragonfly were much bigger 300 million years ago; they measured up to 28 inches across, which still isn't big enough to ride but is large enough to earn it the record for being <a href="http://insects.about.com/od/evolution/f/What-Is-The-Largest-Insect-That-Ever-Lived.htm">the largest insect that ever lived</a>.<br />
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Even if you can't ride a dragonfly, they're still fun to see as they swoop and dart catching insects. They eat annoying and disease-bearing insects like ants, wasps, flies, and mosquitoes, so they're not just entertaining to watch--they're useful helpers for maintaining a healthy and happy garden.<br />
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You can attract dragonflies to your yard by <a href="http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Gardening-Tips/Attracting-Dragonflies.aspx">building a pond surrounded by shrugs and reeds</a>. Dragonflies lay their eggs in and near water, and it's important to have plants next to the pond so dragonfly nymphs can climb out of the water when they are ready to turn into adults and fly.<br />
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Unfortunately, ponds also are habitats for mosquito larvae, which are a big problem because they carry <a href="http://westnile.ca.gov/">West Nile virus</a>. You can still attract dragonflies as long as there's a population somewhere within a few miles, as dragonflies are strong fliers and often search for food far away from their home pond.<br />
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Dragonflies like to perch up high so they can see other insects fly by, so by putting a few wood dowels or bamboo sticks around your garden you'll provide the perfect place for dragonflies to scope out their lunch.<br />
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Sometimes you don't even have to put out sticks; dragonflies will find natural perches in trees or shrubs, like this <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/602">flame skimmer dragonfly</a> did in our dwarf apple tree. Isn't he a gorgeous copper color?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We call this dragonfly "Smiley." Can you see why?</i> <i>His eyes have almost 360° vision, and see more colors than ours.</i></td></tr>
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Dragonflies, like our butterflies, like heat, so keep watch for them in the summer. You can read more facts about them <a href="http://insects.about.com/od/dragonfliesanddamselflies/a/10-Cool-Facts-About-Dragonflies.htm">here</a> and <a href="http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/insects/dragonfly">here</a>, and hey…maybe some dragonflies can read after all!<br />
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<br />Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-58369803684270039512014-05-21T21:07:00.001-07:002014-05-21T21:07:19.034-07:00Saving Water - The "Sprinker Toy"California is in the middle of a terrible drought. It's important to save as much water as possible, but we also want to keep the plants alive so the butterflies have some place to feed on nectar, lay eggs, and the caterpillars have something to eat.<br />
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One way we can save water is by reclaiming "gray" water. Water is called "gray" when it's not straight out of the tap, but may have soap or other stuff in it that's not dangerous. For example, water from <span class="st">showers, tubs, and washing machines can be gray, but water from a toilet cannot. </span>Another way we can save water is by capturing water that would otherwise be wasted, like using a bucket in the shower to catch the cold water while we wait for the shower to heat up.<br />
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At Archie's Garden, one of the things we do is to keep a bucket in the shower. When it fills up, we use the water for the plants. Distributing the water from a five gallon bucket, however, can be tricky - it's easy to pour too much in one place because the bucket is heavy. If you transfer it into a watering can, it takes more time and it's easy to spill.<br />
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To solve this problem, we built a prototype of what we call the Sprinker Toy!<br />
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We start by getting a five gallon bucket, and cutting a hole in the side. Using matching screw-threaded adapters and disks cut out of a sheet of rubber, we build a 1/2" PVC connecting port for "slip" style connectors.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside of port</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the bucket</td></tr>
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From there, we drilled a small hole in the end of each of a collection of 1/2" PVC end caps. Cutting various short lengths of 1/2" PVC pipe, and using slip-tees, we assembled the sprinkling portion. Then we made a whole bunch more!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Components of one sprinkler</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a whole bunch more!</td></tr>
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This is where the Sprinker Toy name comes in. These little sprinklers get connected to each other like Tinker Toys! Using different lengths of pipe, the sections are easily plugged together to fit whatever layout you need. Tilting the sprinkler part downward guarantees that the water will pour out rather than sit in the pipes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single set up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two buckets</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spare parts</td></tr>
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We made extra pieces so that if we move Milkweed plants in or out of the <a href="http://www.archiesgarden.com/2011/08/secure-caterpillar-zone.html">Butterfly Fort</a>, we can put them into the watering system. If you need to change the layout, it's easy, since the sections are just plugged together (and not glued, cemented, or otherwise permanently attached). The pressure in the system is very low, so you don't have to worry much about leaks.<br />
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When you want to water, you just pour into the big bucket, and gravity does all the rest!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzRXaCz-XnW-5Glk4wdLrixURPqw2jdSPlGT7Zt8trcMCb7nVO07q8VDilNnI3FGa6sxf59HOKoWxlPkhY0UA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Other notes:<br />
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You can get fancy with this, by making sprinklers that work at different rates. You can vary the size of the hole you drill into the end-cap, or drill multiple holes in an end-cap.<br />
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We used 1/2 inch PVC and connectors. The whole thing was about $15 in parts. At many hardware stores, they sell bulk "contractor" bags of slip-tee connectors or end-caps.<br />
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<br />Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-65282875491150323652014-03-30T19:29:00.003-07:002014-03-30T19:29:44.185-07:00More Spring HappeningsThis is the season where the garden changes visibly every single day. There's so much going on!<br />
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All kinds of flowers are blooming, and each day old flowers close up while new ones open. </div>
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There are monarch caterpillars of all sizes. </div>
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This is a close-up picture of a Citron flower. Citrons are a very old variety of citrus. The fruits are not particularly good to eat, but the peel of the fruit and the flowers are very fragrant. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgxPwACaJ58y-Za6afft5K9eFDDuYjG7AUkThGxJaJgDxHvu2Pi3v9Y07yUrFs6grhfg6hgCfYm93lMFCkOMIrIbJg4SHAGmTsKdec_fGKNs6Roem1NQUFo8GkuYtIUD-HP7U0s4Y20U/s3200/Cloudless+Cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgxPwACaJ58y-Za6afft5K9eFDDuYjG7AUkThGxJaJgDxHvu2Pi3v9Y07yUrFs6grhfg6hgCfYm93lMFCkOMIrIbJg4SHAGmTsKdec_fGKNs6Roem1NQUFo8GkuYtIUD-HP7U0s4Y20U/s3200/Cloudless+Cat.jpg" height="200" width="133" /> </a></div>
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Here's a very young Cloudless Sulphur butterfly caterpillar. He's very tiny, but he's already eating holes in the leaves of the senna tree. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri88TtrqLUqNZSzUtH_Y4RytXowEeHc0TXe1J0oQqlpgxethGe_tQWiA0r5SLx4NJwxzwIfpYVOfg5NFBzFF83x-5uusGBgJLnlf7vFDZ6JuQjsrWQv1qLNZ1PxtBsxxyRRv7o6KihHc/s3200/Egg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri88TtrqLUqNZSzUtH_Y4RytXowEeHc0TXe1J0oQqlpgxethGe_tQWiA0r5SLx4NJwxzwIfpYVOfg5NFBzFF83x-5uusGBgJLnlf7vFDZ6JuQjsrWQv1qLNZ1PxtBsxxyRRv7o6KihHc/s3200/Egg.jpg" height="133" width="200" /> </a></div>
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This picture may look like the leaf has an eye-stalk like a snail, or maybe an antenna like a moth -- but it's really the egg of a Green Lacewing. Lacewings are pretty green insects that tend to fly around at night. Lacewing larva are considered very good for gardens, since they eat huge numbers of garden pests like aphids, thrips, mealy bugs, and leafhoppers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyCQUdxvHdQNoi6TnZiSp4Ufq-9U-r0FKoqcVdCU9fr7-nfZwTZFe_3hGEP0ZghSvS8i-aNEj_01TIvU-maVEewCvHqKQlo0vYVR1UyRaqBMF7w6sAuojycMkpS5ODPUN69phk4R5i3w/s3200/Nasturtium+Halo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyCQUdxvHdQNoi6TnZiSp4Ufq-9U-r0FKoqcVdCU9fr7-nfZwTZFe_3hGEP0ZghSvS8i-aNEj_01TIvU-maVEewCvHqKQlo0vYVR1UyRaqBMF7w6sAuojycMkpS5ODPUN69phk4R5i3w/s3200/Nasturtium+Halo.jpg" height="132" width="200" /> </a></div>
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Nasturtiums are not only colorful, but edible too. They're spicy! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXUlbOeglGQHGQ7DbP93n1CmKFrX9u_frOQg5J3OJ6OZoF35gbwueJvPuLodinXZ2bRmIy9lRXwY_CRngvvDonfmagmmAH9G8U-AzI_w0FLYACNbmYgcbJATSh4vLGTPN4JYg7uosD74/s3200/Wolfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXUlbOeglGQHGQ7DbP93n1CmKFrX9u_frOQg5J3OJ6OZoF35gbwueJvPuLodinXZ2bRmIy9lRXwY_CRngvvDonfmagmmAH9G8U-AzI_w0FLYACNbmYgcbJATSh4vLGTPN4JYg7uosD74/s3200/Wolfie.jpg" height="132" width="200" /> </a></div>
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Do you think this spider has a grayish abdomen? The answer may surprise you! It's actually a brown Wolf Spider, and that round gray thing is an egg sac that she's carrying around with her!</div>
<br />Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-16785802384657283742014-03-15T13:47:00.002-07:002014-03-15T13:47:24.082-07:00Springtime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz87f3edZ_0GJqYW5I89H3mtaP2rJt82Lf88sMQfq6BAqSgWK36JimWREw9blznzaBpgHrNmUclEjwtwXFpPvJCuu-PY0oTX6deg1jpXBAqZmve60BhZsEbOdtECFzxBjZJG5ZCfMF6K4/s1600/IMG_4386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz87f3edZ_0GJqYW5I89H3mtaP2rJt82Lf88sMQfq6BAqSgWK36JimWREw9blznzaBpgHrNmUclEjwtwXFpPvJCuu-PY0oTX6deg1jpXBAqZmve60BhZsEbOdtECFzxBjZJG5ZCfMF6K4/s1600/IMG_4386.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
It has been a very dry winter in Archie's Garden - we have only had one or two good rains. Nevertheless, the flowers feel springtime coming on, and they're blooming. Here are the Irises and a variety of Nasturtiums showing off.<br />
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We at Archie's Garden change our minds each year which flower is the true symbol of Spring. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSR6LxMM51oHlXLHpz3lKdywl25dkgFZGxWC_0Eu7g0JHt5RNrf_oDIG98lXtQArF1rEEvLzFPMejIAP-bZhqviqolWiwI3Si8ddHuF2hTo6-nW3iYNLrt52HlyRdOt3OXSDG2JVQlgM/s1600/DSC_3478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSR6LxMM51oHlXLHpz3lKdywl25dkgFZGxWC_0Eu7g0JHt5RNrf_oDIG98lXtQArF1rEEvLzFPMejIAP-bZhqviqolWiwI3Si8ddHuF2hTo6-nW3iYNLrt52HlyRdOt3OXSDG2JVQlgM/s1600/DSC_3478.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>
Different flowers come at different times: usually, the Daffodils are among the first to bloom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8gG6VcZI30A_-KUU261hmn-tNIM6JBm1Qe92Gz554CtaamZTto7dYLbAFlTAnq13YhL4HRFSJMOMppfUsVgkvvxmwy8rpPPNht1HaypyIHcQmEUtlnVFHgeJaeuXGardvExOcEufvv0/s1600/DSC_7696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8gG6VcZI30A_-KUU261hmn-tNIM6JBm1Qe92Gz554CtaamZTto7dYLbAFlTAnq13YhL4HRFSJMOMppfUsVgkvvxmwy8rpPPNht1HaypyIHcQmEUtlnVFHgeJaeuXGardvExOcEufvv0/s1600/DSC_7696.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a> <br />
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Sometimes the Toad Flax, Lupine, or California Poppies will be first, but they often bloom all together.<br />
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The Freesias are not the first to bloom, but they are not shy about filling the garden with color.<br />
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This year, however, Archie casts his vote for the Wisteria. This vine can really take over, but for a few brief days every Spring, the delicate flowers are extraordinarily beautiful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-THKA_kcmm33cj8_LnuvZRHHEDqsq2FnbZUNbLJiSE5w18BQ9LHuVu3yhdJE7_GMRGItlrAuECPM_-iI1pL-DpocZHEvycqGXjYZjHQzkNl4Xr6r1AfxLtKZmJzsfEH3B7P4CvsPtd8/s1600/IMG_4393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-THKA_kcmm33cj8_LnuvZRHHEDqsq2FnbZUNbLJiSE5w18BQ9LHuVu3yhdJE7_GMRGItlrAuECPM_-iI1pL-DpocZHEvycqGXjYZjHQzkNl4Xr6r1AfxLtKZmJzsfEH3B7P4CvsPtd8/s1600/IMG_4393.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td> <td><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEjn-AHxb2yW3_4WSvmJnaw1zsECWyhYvNB6EOHV4trmC8kUaOa_4UcsIYU4LI4t3ew5dJjqDXK2hsj7EOe8bArU09JS-rDYmDR8TIkWm1hNzxGw1HoAeC_zLOgXX8KD8UFTjOmysZvM/s1600/IMG_4395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEjn-AHxb2yW3_4WSvmJnaw1zsECWyhYvNB6EOHV4trmC8kUaOa_4UcsIYU4LI4t3ew5dJjqDXK2hsj7EOe8bArU09JS-rDYmDR8TIkWm1hNzxGw1HoAeC_zLOgXX8KD8UFTjOmysZvM/s1600/IMG_4395.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLRwCFfMlAHXqa49P0-vAiWcaAnX-2AjeSIchlO__9CthXG7A5onnsHRPwOGmFMYGLgpAB0GbnsgS5c2PlngF-CfOLCkGTDD-FP7N-GpppW0JjLGIATdQGOWDKtHyvSrFEbNn6F7oQw4/s1600/IMG_4413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLRwCFfMlAHXqa49P0-vAiWcaAnX-2AjeSIchlO__9CthXG7A5onnsHRPwOGmFMYGLgpAB0GbnsgS5c2PlngF-CfOLCkGTDD-FP7N-GpppW0JjLGIATdQGOWDKtHyvSrFEbNn6F7oQw4/s1600/IMG_4413.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBNVOEtHtf1hi4gksETS7MuKj7FF0xSjtwW2TP1MBRTI6xElDE590p022Q3wXnvB8k1uknhznukOlscbmMUuNzi5Z6tpc1GZACsQ5pi0J-8gR_0ApqS4-H7h6IqnYu45EFkI-5xosaP0/s1600/IMG_4411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBNVOEtHtf1hi4gksETS7MuKj7FF0xSjtwW2TP1MBRTI6xElDE590p022Q3wXnvB8k1uknhznukOlscbmMUuNzi5Z6tpc1GZACsQ5pi0J-8gR_0ApqS4-H7h6IqnYu45EFkI-5xosaP0/s1600/IMG_4411.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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The flowers are not the only ones celebrating the coming of Spring. This fellow was seen wandering around near the potted plants late at night. At first, he looks like a twig. If you look closer, he looks like a big worm. But then if you look really closely, you'll see he's a salamander!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCuzORtq1EZhNYhjAz0SMoQdmV7VZT1yJe0iITfAi5iX4TKbL5J1A7CiErmeY8TGS52uBfXHDrjyPv4ACrEsfNsL3ZAbqsLDUG-8-1Q-uLpaes3zrNA2y0L7exN7AjFqBM3LxEOyvrSg/s1600/IMG_4402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCuzORtq1EZhNYhjAz0SMoQdmV7VZT1yJe0iITfAi5iX4TKbL5J1A7CiErmeY8TGS52uBfXHDrjyPv4ACrEsfNsL3ZAbqsLDUG-8-1Q-uLpaes3zrNA2y0L7exN7AjFqBM3LxEOyvrSg/s1600/IMG_4402.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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<br />Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-72441841896619309982013-10-09T12:41:00.001-07:002013-10-09T13:41:53.268-07:00Have You Ever Seen a Butterfly Drinking Dewdrops from a Rose? <div style="text-align: center;">
Early one autumn morning in our garden, an Airabella was doing just that:
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Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-32218881866723374422013-09-02T13:43:00.000-07:002013-09-02T13:43:04.040-07:00New Resident in Archie's GardenYuck! While working in the Archie's Garden, Elizabeth noticed a gigantic and gross bird dropping on the leaf of an orange tree.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuck!</td></tr>
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But hang on a second! There's something suspicious about that bird poop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosMiASxOgAF5131__1CJAW8RgOYhcLGjl7VkoRS0OrYQpF-8OoAAwsMACmfmwEQ0ZWpkBHIwM8FRxWxq8HDPt0gVrt3R4IeTmUzSyq56WVSGCL4OXA0Wkov0mLBC_asqW2QG7zsB3Wz8/s1600/DSC_0507" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosMiASxOgAF5131__1CJAW8RgOYhcLGjl7VkoRS0OrYQpF-8OoAAwsMACmfmwEQ0ZWpkBHIwM8FRxWxq8HDPt0gVrt3R4IeTmUzSyq56WVSGCL4OXA0Wkov0mLBC_asqW2QG7zsB3Wz8/s1600/DSC_0507" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey... wait a minute ...</td></tr>
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It turns out that it wasn't what it looked like... As you can <a href="http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/citrus/giantswallowtail.htm">read here</a>, this is a caterpillar of the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's moving!</td></tr>
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To protect itself from predators, this species uses "bio-mimicry," a fancy word for disguise. Unlike some caterpillars who depend on hiding under leaves, or only moving when it's dark out, the Giant Swallowtail caterpillar can stay right out in the open. Most predators will think like we did — that's just a bird poop — and will not pay any more attention.<br />
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(as always, click on the pictures for larger versions) Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-5399218437859216162013-08-11T10:27:00.002-07:002013-08-11T10:27:26.065-07:00SwallowtailsThis summer, very few Monarch butterflies have come to Archie's Garden. We have a brand new butterfly fort to protect caterpillars against wasps, but we don't have any caterpillars to protect. There are whole days that go by when not a single Monarch comes to visit. We're trying not to worry, but we don't really know what's going on.<br />
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The story is different when it comes to Swallowtail butterflies. We've had far more of these fast-flying butterflies than we've ever had in the past.<br />
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Swallowtail Butterflies (<i>Papilio polyxenes</i>) use fennel, parsley, and dill for their host plants. We have some fennel where caterpillars have been munching.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1S7fQ-pHRbJnnwIy4KijHdnKJdLu1xWAnXPH4tdWdjxEqQAosGvqTIfTZyHQ6OqjTqp2o5caSbwZQpJQ09zdHtWaCxcKNwPjrPSeGoDsJQFqzegMpMhk33U5AUs1KlCeXfbHcciTQD4/s1600/DSC_0077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1S7fQ-pHRbJnnwIy4KijHdnKJdLu1xWAnXPH4tdWdjxEqQAosGvqTIfTZyHQ6OqjTqp2o5caSbwZQpJQ09zdHtWaCxcKNwPjrPSeGoDsJQFqzegMpMhk33U5AUs1KlCeXfbHcciTQD4/s1600/DSC_0077.jpg" height="132" width="200" /><br />Swallowtail Caterpillar</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvatNo3D_BecHJJRBJ8Xg41pEwAR5zT2b8b0-hYUwnpywDGHbPJ36g66uYFYhECP6pOtMW0bAiyjQPCW0SmqnK5ZykdGSv-08KpHEAnV7laKREeATfJrxiXeebGFR6oSsgokHNTkEidc/s1600/Reach+for+It.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvatNo3D_BecHJJRBJ8Xg41pEwAR5zT2b8b0-hYUwnpywDGHbPJ36g66uYFYhECP6pOtMW0bAiyjQPCW0SmqnK5ZykdGSv-08KpHEAnV7laKREeATfJrxiXeebGFR6oSsgokHNTkEidc/s1600/Reach+for+It.jpg" height="133" width="200" /><br />Another Caterpillar</a></td></tr>
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While Monarch caterpillars hang in a "J" shape before they pupate, these Swallowtail caterpillars create a silk "seatbelt" for themselves, and curl with their heads upright. Interestingly, when these caterpillars have pupated, we've seen two very different looking pupae. On a wooden post, the pupa is mottled blacks and browns, while on the fennel stalk the pupa is yellows and greens. We don't know if it's camouflage, or if we are seeing two different species.<br />
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<table><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1utrIUgO9oLVZXI6fI3X8QPLqIN76GPetZX_TFBEZquM90n-3BUNJf4xOM9nxcuS0uCKFXtv3kpOEoHCDvO9SiZ_fqoa7q3uQlovv4KhvE20Td8ujCyAU_AzBu_mpKZ2IAHDzDq6j5o/s1600/DSC_0103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1utrIUgO9oLVZXI6fI3X8QPLqIN76GPetZX_TFBEZquM90n-3BUNJf4xOM9nxcuS0uCKFXtv3kpOEoHCDvO9SiZ_fqoa7q3uQlovv4KhvE20Td8ujCyAU_AzBu_mpKZ2IAHDzDq6j5o/s1600/DSC_0103.jpg" height="200" width="133" /><br />Caterpillar with<br />Silk "Seatbelt"</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdLuyRabuR5tycOR8Hf2s8WfmSeSma2Js-KUdqU_0K3VvTixE3TJ_aeuqG5vkGFFOQI6llT2tQ_XzHjqeuQnLejjYAQyHXAcCaDf1wJQlbjNRLCFf-CTIXPrZgFJer6hv8AROBcVxGW8/s1600/DSC_0133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdLuyRabuR5tycOR8Hf2s8WfmSeSma2Js-KUdqU_0K3VvTixE3TJ_aeuqG5vkGFFOQI6llT2tQ_XzHjqeuQnLejjYAQyHXAcCaDf1wJQlbjNRLCFf-CTIXPrZgFJer6hv8AROBcVxGW8/s1600/DSC_0133.jpg" height="200" width="133" /><br />Dark<br />Pupa</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Zmvrp1c_cS5L7sMQk12zomCbimqDLrqthd4uQ_oJwuHb4GFrEZIYQJ8QhWihjACcIcrxISe-c7N5kDy8fyHw7sNPMO1AMXgL51aNa5VzobP0tZ-0lUGlLSlvDZzZw7nNm06BSNaS40/s1600/DSC_0134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Zmvrp1c_cS5L7sMQk12zomCbimqDLrqthd4uQ_oJwuHb4GFrEZIYQJ8QhWihjACcIcrxISe-c7N5kDy8fyHw7sNPMO1AMXgL51aNa5VzobP0tZ-0lUGlLSlvDZzZw7nNm06BSNaS40/s1600/DSC_0134.jpg" height="200" width="132" /><br />Green<br />Pupa</a></td></tr>
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Yesterday, the dark pupa eclosed. I wasn't there when it happened, but I discovered the butterfly shortly afterward. It had damaged its right fore-wing. I was worried that it might not be able to fly. However, after an hour, it had fluttered a short distance, and was resting in the sun. A few hours later, it was gone. I hope that it succeeded in flying off to new adventures!<br />
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<table><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikednCGdb0KmgU0-Qb6_WMlaUqBwZ1cDPBZMLaMBKXGl2MLGjiguCLDw87aeZdpbdCj1BTQKRbKoTI0VKMXGYeYs79jWw0A_u4FBOhcknT4C7abwD2cajDO_Hsmi088o6DyUhMedHhR7w/s1600/DSC_0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikednCGdb0KmgU0-Qb6_WMlaUqBwZ1cDPBZMLaMBKXGl2MLGjiguCLDw87aeZdpbdCj1BTQKRbKoTI0VKMXGYeYs79jWw0A_u4FBOhcknT4C7abwD2cajDO_Hsmi088o6DyUhMedHhR7w/s1600/DSC_0201.jpg" height="132" width="200" /><br />Just Eclosed</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipepr-P9pBRHqgrxOLcCBKlZXqwMbSPHip0QDaDdFyO1AdCYNbqLAmRhCinOPAe7_hVwzND-tNrnbWEMA7wm5eeMqKsEsPG_MU9ihaT5X4ZYZH3ljf0HqJaF2_jMJ6Yg4YEmdPCZeegD4/s1600/DSC_0202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipepr-P9pBRHqgrxOLcCBKlZXqwMbSPHip0QDaDdFyO1AdCYNbqLAmRhCinOPAe7_hVwzND-tNrnbWEMA7wm5eeMqKsEsPG_MU9ihaT5X4ZYZH3ljf0HqJaF2_jMJ6Yg4YEmdPCZeegD4/s1600/DSC_0202.jpg" height="132" width="200" /><br />Pupa after eclosure</a></td></tr>
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<table><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ctEiXMAHHlOBcj3k4jTlYtk-iCk9qB3dhhBsW5vg6aZeDa_PdC3mIhznHs7ONLC4SwSchGvteq_L0qwB61zXDrpx6TiDefLl-DEKa4qjgTf2ystDxtEn_pRHjBNPoT_SmMCA12QWX5c/s1600/DSC_0222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ctEiXMAHHlOBcj3k4jTlYtk-iCk9qB3dhhBsW5vg6aZeDa_PdC3mIhznHs7ONLC4SwSchGvteq_L0qwB61zXDrpx6TiDefLl-DEKa4qjgTf2ystDxtEn_pRHjBNPoT_SmMCA12QWX5c/s1600/DSC_0222.jpg" height="132" width="200" /><br />Sunning</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BrpFgZo_M5GeqSBV92Q7Bf85CpRspe3TowrnE6TtqAETgcldn1BxzQYeV3KQVVgx4jQoCL3t4ARVDYIaAqT3Eee2jxsPFDtkFjkyyW2cqHGrdLzfvR40fz0_iCc0rHLG0mhEb09j-nU/s1600/Swallowtail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BrpFgZo_M5GeqSBV92Q7Bf85CpRspe3TowrnE6TtqAETgcldn1BxzQYeV3KQVVgx4jQoCL3t4ARVDYIaAqT3Eee2jxsPFDtkFjkyyW2cqHGrdLzfvR40fz0_iCc0rHLG0mhEb09j-nU/s1600/Swallowtail.jpg" height="132" width="200" /><br />Wing Detail</a></td></tr>
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(as always, you can click on the pictures to see bigger versions).Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-55453606324235926382013-06-21T18:22:00.000-07:002013-06-21T18:22:06.001-07:00Russell Crow Visits Archie's Garden! <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7284i_2OdBuf1pD7vhcmrh7j-a-m4ylhHBdUJyL5Yde41F0p3mk_v3b4JYXfr7ozUvTc2TUGlKNi6bd4xQR8DsItf4cLM3AZKB5LpsrBGktCzxk474oY2-dp90ncT05cO-uI7wOJeZQ4/s1600/russell+sitting+on+bricks+104k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7284i_2OdBuf1pD7vhcmrh7j-a-m4ylhHBdUJyL5Yde41F0p3mk_v3b4JYXfr7ozUvTc2TUGlKNi6bd4xQR8DsItf4cLM3AZKB5LpsrBGktCzxk474oY2-dp90ncT05cO-uI7wOJeZQ4/s320/russell+sitting+on+bricks+104k.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought this crow was sick.</td></tr>
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At first I was very worried. I came home and as I was about to open my front door, I saw this disheveled crow sitting near our stoop. He wouldn't fly away, just sidled away from me as I moved closer. Uh-oh, I thought...it's sick (and we have West Nile in our crow population here in Mar Vista.) I didn't know what to do, but I did know not to touch it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCA8tx_yo07HaO9M-T1wc8jZJQi_B10XIbNQ3J_10Rkq69zzBYF4kBPROVMS4_2MBDU28GjMzLD9ZMZhF4bIKetrjVd7gD4vAgxxG6fr2hejqGcNA_0BFMqlMvnLWunNp_5qDKbbHQGOs/s1600/russell+blue+eye+bricks+145k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCA8tx_yo07HaO9M-T1wc8jZJQi_B10XIbNQ3J_10Rkq69zzBYF4kBPROVMS4_2MBDU28GjMzLD9ZMZhF4bIKetrjVd7gD4vAgxxG6fr2hejqGcNA_0BFMqlMvnLWunNp_5qDKbbHQGOs/s400/russell+blue+eye+bricks+145k.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby crows have blue eyes. </td></tr>
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He sat there for several hours, moving very little. I took a few photos, and good thing I did.<br />
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We tried keeping an eye on him and were worried that one of the local cats would get him. We started looking around for crow rescue societies.<br />
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However, as nightfall approached he struggled to climb up into rose bush. I put out some water on a platform and he drank a little. In the morning he was still in the rose bush. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIHOmVuPzxha-tcectoChzlCa5aSZ68_3Ac79IGsM3e4BHpV9KXnsHQgWNtQ3wWKgpF6uc7fpuVmgQDiF0xvCPggWAzeo2rxQKMc1hgn4ASe2QTvzj3-2TWzrPPGdQ8ZDP0RpiYgzF2Y/s1600/+russell+crow+josephs+coat+rose+68k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIHOmVuPzxha-tcectoChzlCa5aSZ68_3Ac79IGsM3e4BHpV9KXnsHQgWNtQ3wWKgpF6uc7fpuVmgQDiF0xvCPggWAzeo2rxQKMc1hgn4ASe2QTvzj3-2TWzrPPGdQ8ZDP0RpiYgzF2Y/s400/+russell+crow+josephs+coat+rose+68k.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russell climbed into the roses at night for safety.</td></tr>
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But then I found <a href="http://www.crows.net/orphans.html" target="_blank">some websites</a> that explained the whole thing. Little Russell, as we called him, wasn't sick. He was a baby crow--a <a href="http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/babycrow.htm#nestling" target="_blank">fledgling</a>--that had been pushed out of the nest. However, he hadn't been abandoned by his parents; in fact, his parents were nearby, waiting to feed him and keep him company.<br />
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We identified that he was a baby from the photos I took--baby crows have blue eyes, and adult's eyes are brown. Sometimes crows push fledglings out of the nest before they can fully fly so they aren't sitting ducks (as it were) if the nest is attacked. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vpbA_rAVS2RkMHB89iXoagURwF5mgSUoD3Tkb-QUHuyvYACz7dIcT6csu2PDV8Gwa_UpnDW6_M0Y5HraM6GNXgH5PoT5fVhw5AYTNReGPR3N7clgOzq7GGmFyZeEHXb_riDrlO7Cia4/s1600/russell+crow+eating+on+rack+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vpbA_rAVS2RkMHB89iXoagURwF5mgSUoD3Tkb-QUHuyvYACz7dIcT6csu2PDV8Gwa_UpnDW6_M0Y5HraM6GNXgH5PoT5fVhw5AYTNReGPR3N7clgOzq7GGmFyZeEHXb_riDrlO7Cia4/s320/russell+crow+eating+on+rack+118.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russell drinking some water</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEQqnIiorlxek3G52gefk9pYlnXtpyqvCAxqLmfWKVu4QJr3_i2qf56oCBvmtmkamJ0VoG7qEsloSLQnQHmAZZp7lt8Mynf98uYN89SGAF1urugsAFCsjKw81jG6cCnFeVhi5JI9o5O4/s1600/russell+crow+on+wire+with+mom+146k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEQqnIiorlxek3G52gefk9pYlnXtpyqvCAxqLmfWKVu4QJr3_i2qf56oCBvmtmkamJ0VoG7qEsloSLQnQHmAZZp7lt8Mynf98uYN89SGAF1urugsAFCsjKw81jG6cCnFeVhi5JI9o5O4/s320/russell+crow+on+wire+with+mom+146k.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russell and one of his folks. </td></tr>
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During the day Russell would hide in the thicket in our front yard, then climb up into the rose bushes at night. Sure enough, his parents would come feed him regularly. A few days later, we saw Russell fly--very clumsily--into the tree next door, with Mom/Dad close behind. The past few weeks he has been flying further and more smoothly, but he still hollers every morning and every evening for food. His cry isn't like a mature crow's squawk, it's like a very loud nasal duck. We're glad to know he's doing okay. We'll see you around the neighborhood, Russell!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqVn1oumgeoxSWR6Ohjo8pss1HJTxQ_eGM_CQ5OkSgEZE3Cxv3nAg-ZgUy2X2RFM3KAGnzvTD9BCK-XfPwelHTeXFmzMfbFCKW0HTNs25a4DlMI9VAdCWDLl6L2H5OpzNK11v-NaRNrE/s1600/crow+roses+moon+137k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqVn1oumgeoxSWR6Ohjo8pss1HJTxQ_eGM_CQ5OkSgEZE3Cxv3nAg-ZgUy2X2RFM3KAGnzvTD9BCK-XfPwelHTeXFmzMfbFCKW0HTNs25a4DlMI9VAdCWDLl6L2H5OpzNK11v-NaRNrE/s640/crow+roses+moon+137k.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russell contemplating his next flight plan.</td></tr>
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If you'd like to know what to do when you find a baby crow, check out these websites. Remember, don't touch! Crows are wild animals, and sometimes trying to help will do more harm than good. </div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://wildlifecaring.blogspot.com/2006/05/caring-for-crows_19.html">Wildlifecaring.blogspot.com</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/babycrow.htm">Birds.cornell.edu</a></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.crows.net/orphans.html">Crows.ne</a>t</li>
</ul>
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Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-144479385828458662013-04-23T15:48:00.002-07:002013-04-23T15:48:38.216-07:00New Arrival: Wally Shakespeare<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXtkDoJqlllI1nBpqrxXsqTswGadd2xcuh5FHrMsYUQz4fof8vgI-oXPieIL6CdEgYRU7WhTVLA_kIM55Y-IVE6udUUNywewmJlwUrQoVi3iijx7n-NhoAfYZdkgJOVYZ1xThc5QZYjE/s1600/new+archie+wally+4.23.13+115k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXtkDoJqlllI1nBpqrxXsqTswGadd2xcuh5FHrMsYUQz4fof8vgI-oXPieIL6CdEgYRU7WhTVLA_kIM55Y-IVE6udUUNywewmJlwUrQoVi3iijx7n-NhoAfYZdkgJOVYZ1xThc5QZYjE/s400/new+archie+wally+4.23.13+115k.jpg" title="monarch butterfly on a stucco wall" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Happy Birthday Wally Shakespeare!</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.shakespearesbirthday.org.uk/" target="_blank">Happy Shakespeare's Birthday!</a> Now that warm weather has come to Southern California, we're finding new chrysalides and eclosures almost every day. This guy arrived this afternoon, April 23rd, so we're calling him "Wally Shakespeare."<br />
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We've had quite a few caterpillars pupate on our stucco walls, some not very successfully, so we're delighted Wally arrived safe and sound.<br />
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"....Then music is</div>
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Even as the flourish when true subjects bow</div>
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To a new-crowned monarch: such it is</div>
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As are those dulcet sounds in break of day</div>
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That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear,</div>
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And summon him to marriage."</div>
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<i>The Merchant of Venice</i> </div>
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William Shakespeare</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT60QLVNcZjj2i96Ezle-b9BJN0qqSMIuEmXZrwyFDaHWWuluILL5TgFPbMkGd_cjRUwB6CVV8YrPSc9YtsbZNXpn3mhETkebpAVXJ8b1r7JG1lH36Nzw6rStblIKyRMFluPcvthmqdmw/s1600/golden+jubilee+rose+secret+garden+sign+78k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT60QLVNcZjj2i96Ezle-b9BJN0qqSMIuEmXZrwyFDaHWWuluILL5TgFPbMkGd_cjRUwB6CVV8YrPSc9YtsbZNXpn3mhETkebpAVXJ8b1r7JG1lH36Nzw6rStblIKyRMFluPcvthmqdmw/s400/golden+jubilee+rose+secret+garden+sign+78k.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Golden Jubilee rose at the garden gate</i></td></tr>
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Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-24219272277958914512013-04-13T12:35:00.000-07:002013-04-13T12:35:35.511-07:00Scary Things: the OE PlagueThe monarch butterflies of Archie's Garden are strange, beautiful creatures. Especially in Spring Time, the garden is filled with flowers and butterflies. It seems a magical place.<br />
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Unfortunately, though, nature is not only beautiful, but has a harsh side to it. In the past, we've talked about <a href="http://www.archiesgarden.com/2011/06/scary-things.html" target="_blank">some scary things</a>. Today, we are going to talk about another scary thing: a parasite called <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophryocystis_elektroscirrha" target="_blank">Ophryocystis elektroscirrha</a></i>, or "OE" for short.<br />
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In Archie's Garden, we sometimes see butterflies that have trouble eclosing, or trouble unfolding their wings after they eclose. If the butterflies don't straighten out their wings, the wings will remain all wrinkled and the butterfly won't be able to fly. If they can't fly, they won't survive very long. We call these guys "crumpies" because of their crumpled wings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72vWe09FZgoqUytNxwSJJPRDpMIOKugGTiPhf7SLqeKKg30TG_KnYPQWU7rdQG5l6e128vm0t4ADmi6O3jtQS7n6gWxcCE_hnNsAHVB89WEqW7csIbEwdYE0StijRnkqZXfXz06er_54/s1600/DSC_8184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72vWe09FZgoqUytNxwSJJPRDpMIOKugGTiPhf7SLqeKKg30TG_KnYPQWU7rdQG5l6e128vm0t4ADmi6O3jtQS7n6gWxcCE_hnNsAHVB89WEqW7csIbEwdYE0StijRnkqZXfXz06er_54/s1600/DSC_8184.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture of a "crumpy" - click to enlarge.</td></tr>
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When we first saw this, it seemed to happen more during colder weather, and we assumed that it was because of the cooler temperature. As we have learned more about monarch butterflies, we now believe it's because of infection with OE.<br />
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To find out whether the butterflies were infected with OE, we pushed clear tape against the bodies of crumpies who had not survived. The tape is sticky, and pulls off loose butterfly feathers and debris. We then took that tape, and looked at it under a microscope at about 50x magnification.<br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireVMAFR7NzpKKIZsAGDjgW4OFtRbrrq-dADB400xQsc0qmwNKpWFEP4mDIUV79n3ndMGXur6fIO2JBGH9iRcdYV35gdy0EZMe9GDRlvfQ25FZHKLO38s00Y7bSJALf7NSsdAQkuDezzs/s1600/IMG_3191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireVMAFR7NzpKKIZsAGDjgW4OFtRbrrq-dADB400xQsc0qmwNKpWFEP4mDIUV79n3ndMGXur6fIO2JBGH9iRcdYV35gdy0EZMe9GDRlvfQ25FZHKLO38s00Y7bSJALf7NSsdAQkuDezzs/s1600/IMG_3191.jpg" width="200" /></a>
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Microscope view of Monarch Feathers and OE spores
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL2OSlFtjo-7_ivJK3-HWB_rty1oc9jhhG97_-yhbWjsvPveumzie01Zw0aBm7sKD20hPldYBWp085mye3dKrgDCf_2HTAz2ASZoOfvZVLT_xXecwtfasH0h4-zT-3gg9JwBJPOnHXOI/s1600/IMG_3312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL2OSlFtjo-7_ivJK3-HWB_rty1oc9jhhG97_-yhbWjsvPveumzie01Zw0aBm7sKD20hPldYBWp085mye3dKrgDCf_2HTAz2ASZoOfvZVLT_xXecwtfasH0h4-zT-3gg9JwBJPOnHXOI/s1600/IMG_3312.jpg" width="200" /></a>
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Another microscope view of feathers and spores</td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkl8SAh98PBiMIX7oJo79Ap97gn_mwBnBm2RFVEDA6Qcs9DwjJFixIoPE_bOpQb8TPazCVrDRMF50vjFggPGRei4UFdiiXnrau61dfvt9HmtTSWBAJ8X-v0XqTV0Y7hyphenhyphendISQgfR_w4wxE/s1600/IMG_3191+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkl8SAh98PBiMIX7oJo79Ap97gn_mwBnBm2RFVEDA6Qcs9DwjJFixIoPE_bOpQb8TPazCVrDRMF50vjFggPGRei4UFdiiXnrau61dfvt9HmtTSWBAJ8X-v0XqTV0Y7hyphenhyphendISQgfR_w4wxE/s1600/IMG_3191+-+Version+2.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Close-up view of feathers and OE spores</td>
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</table>
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(Click on any of the pictures to enlarge)</div>
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The big, roundish things in the pictures are individual feathers from the
monarch. The little sand-like grains, however, are OE spores. What we saw confirmed what we were afraid of. The crumpies are suffering from OE infection.<br />
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We don't know exactly what to do. The crumpies usually would not survive the night after they eclosed, so used to put them out on the milkweed so they could feed at the flowers. We now know this was a bad idea, since that only spreads more of the dangerous spores. We will try to keep them isolated from the plants in the future.<br />
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We have read about techniques for sterilizing milkweed plants using bleach spray, and other people talk about cutting the plants down in the winter and disposing of the older growth. Because the infection is in the monarch population at large, this might reduce the problem but it won't solve it entirely.<br />
<br />
We have plenty of healthy butterflies growing up too, so we're not sure how bad the situation is. We will keep watching and learning, and we will report what we learn here.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://monarchparasites.uga.edu/" target="_blank">Read more about OE</a>.Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-17425998365812928172013-03-17T15:47:00.002-07:002013-03-17T15:51:45.458-07:00The Mystery of the Unexpected Eggs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNwP2f5omUANAtv1eQGsUeUm8JL7yS59TVxSXQ1B-AwlyLe1euzQL6MFggqkUj9JeuMTpXZ6EXBhFLBc37iBPUUrNDcdlNcSq1IL_CeZOMCwddqqhIu2ZJhqyM9kL_AxmTPyia1R1chA/s1600/DSC_7870" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNwP2f5omUANAtv1eQGsUeUm8JL7yS59TVxSXQ1B-AwlyLe1euzQL6MFggqkUj9JeuMTpXZ6EXBhFLBc37iBPUUrNDcdlNcSq1IL_CeZOMCwddqqhIu2ZJhqyM9kL_AxmTPyia1R1chA/s1600/DSC_7870" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey... what's that?<br />
(click to enlarge)</td></tr>
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It's Spring in Archie's Garden! All sorts of things are happening: trees are leafing out and flowers are budding and blooming.<br />
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After taking some pictures of purple freesias, something caught our eye. What's that little white speck on the nasturtium leaf?<br />
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Zooming in on the picture, we were surprised to see something that looked a whole lot like the Monarch butterfly eggs that we see on the milkweed plants. This speck was smaller than a Monarch egg (maybe two-thirds the size).<br />
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But if it was an egg, the big mystery is what it was doing on a nasturtium. Monarchs don't lay their eggs on just any plant. They only lay eggs on milkweed, and nasturtiums are not related to milkweed.<br />
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We went out to take a closer look at that speck. Here's what we saw:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcA4yP_82PFjB4H4tJ8U43dtk3R48OMUt8deTru8Ov6sOFH-Wuvy16S5AEj5lzNGvmQ7UkfDkqcNawxFPdq91ny9K1lujg9NBDXsD84_TAFtIzCSjDvEJYTK1A9DKoK_u5pDaVKRN-gs/s1600/DSC_7879" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcA4yP_82PFjB4H4tJ8U43dtk3R48OMUt8deTru8Ov6sOFH-Wuvy16S5AEj5lzNGvmQ7UkfDkqcNawxFPdq91ny9K1lujg9NBDXsD84_TAFtIzCSjDvEJYTK1A9DKoK_u5pDaVKRN-gs/s1600/DSC_7879" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mystery Egg I (click to enlarge)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvrBjKzzPh1HogpSj5Z-RjFA027Hne6833JkeBF52kWbers984MIqdb_QFso7wnz2mNGkJ7c5JHCeXOXhwRVH5qLeB0FtslIg-X1NXUde3-0r_Iom-7KYySZmJvzol0dymcwAyr7Vy-M/s1600/DSC_7884" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvrBjKzzPh1HogpSj5Z-RjFA027Hne6833JkeBF52kWbers984MIqdb_QFso7wnz2mNGkJ7c5JHCeXOXhwRVH5qLeB0FtslIg-X1NXUde3-0r_Iom-7KYySZmJvzol0dymcwAyr7Vy-M/s1600/DSC_7884" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mystery Egg II (click to enlarge)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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There were a couple of these eggs around, and all on nasturtium leaves. They couldn't be Monarch butterflies ... but, they sure looked like butterfly eggs! For comparison, here's a picture of a Monarch egg:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_xijEiyzbVfBvea06imc3myaDMN5YQYfM0c03-iexzqFLJsP3zAV4DBEW0qSPPo8noj7Q0icsYFQ263V2lKDymYi1VjiVENVRZkWs9KjciZIUGwhnLKvS79NRdcM3Wc0OYpvY3s6AnY/s1600/DSC_7895" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_xijEiyzbVfBvea06imc3myaDMN5YQYfM0c03-iexzqFLJsP3zAV4DBEW0qSPPo8noj7Q0icsYFQ263V2lKDymYi1VjiVENVRZkWs9KjciZIUGwhnLKvS79NRdcM3Wc0OYpvY3s6AnY/s1600/DSC_7895" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monarch egg (click to enlarge)</td></tr>
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When we looked it up on the Internet, we learned that there's a species of butterfly that likes to lay eggs on nasturtiums - and it's a species we frequently see in Archie's Garden: Cabbage White Butterflies (<i>Pieris rapae</i>):<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlKCYF6LBcZE2BEb3rLRtzen7rMf0mDUK3Drft8WRU5lJPeqjhBN3I03zJBLoFWMWkK5p8Xh7UYDPhS9Kf9P4Pg-HafWnfdnaQeakRpshlJKlrJJHg5AQcZp0yA92KHP5knOmB2OoMGw/s1600/DSC_9216" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlKCYF6LBcZE2BEb3rLRtzen7rMf0mDUK3Drft8WRU5lJPeqjhBN3I03zJBLoFWMWkK5p8Xh7UYDPhS9Kf9P4Pg-HafWnfdnaQeakRpshlJKlrJJHg5AQcZp0yA92KHP5knOmB2OoMGw/s1600/DSC_9216" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabbage White Butterfly (click to enlarge)</td></tr>
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So the mystery was solved!Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-86613130097160788582012-09-12T13:31:00.000-07:002012-09-12T13:31:58.199-07:00Autumn's Sulphur ButterfliesEver since we planted our milkweed patch to foster the local monarch population, other butterflies seem to be hanging out in greater numbers too. We don't know if it's because the presence of monarchs signals a safe haven for butterflies--or they just like to party--but we've definitely seen more swallowtails, skippers, and cabbage flies around. Now, with the blooming of our cassia tree out back, we've had an influx of bright-yellow sulphurs.<br />
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Despite efforts to prop it up, our cassia tree has been leaning more each year and it's clear it will fall over soon. We look forward to its bright yellow flowering every fall so we've kept it. We also hoped we'd attract more <a href="http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/pieridae/cloudl.htm" target="_blank">Cloudless Sulphur </a>butterflies, since cassia is their host plant.<br />
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Sure enough, we've had lots of pairs fluttering around this week as the tree bloomed, and today I was able to photograph a female laying her eggs. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GBWWVR4jUt49vdbJT6FQF20uz8lowWJL_qCZLiSdVNB3a7JBdUXz59EK7xJnLJkCISuWyaZvn7NFW0mYsZJ0gfjT2Ani-CyIHVmpkfzzBRLkN9XD6fur5YyNyraCUP-0XkmwLN1dex0/s1600/garden+sulfur+butterfly+laying+egg+sept+2012+cassia+53kb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GBWWVR4jUt49vdbJT6FQF20uz8lowWJL_qCZLiSdVNB3a7JBdUXz59EK7xJnLJkCISuWyaZvn7NFW0mYsZJ0gfjT2Ani-CyIHVmpkfzzBRLkN9XD6fur5YyNyraCUP-0XkmwLN1dex0/s640/garden+sulfur+butterfly+laying+egg+sept+2012+cassia+53kb.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloudless Sulphur and cassia blossoms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As you can see, the sulphurs have developed camouflage to blend in perfectly with cassia flowers. Neat, huh? When they flutter around, they look like <a href="http://www.carinberger.com/carin%20berger%201-36.html" target="_blank">little flying autumn leaves</a>. <br />
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In an odd coincidence (or perhaps a caterpillar publicity stunt) we noticed this lady/fellow latched onto the bottom of our screen door sill this morning, just a couple feet from where our first monarch pupated for the camera: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipd4gMnZzRV5JrVmpHQro7g6WMXmN6ilOdU6xf8LHoAnYGjj6okAYsfLPCahGBBEa91up27oLfS-gxIY-v0PU9io4-QdjCR5blEmURFUFjB6T201sWYKLBIEV9EmHRcrFXdtjZcbnargY/s1600/archies+garden+sulfur+caterpillar+j+79k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipd4gMnZzRV5JrVmpHQro7g6WMXmN6ilOdU6xf8LHoAnYGjj6okAYsfLPCahGBBEa91up27oLfS-gxIY-v0PU9io4-QdjCR5blEmURFUFjB6T201sWYKLBIEV9EmHRcrFXdtjZcbnargY/s400/archies+garden+sulfur+caterpillar+j+79k.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloudless Sulphur caterpillar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Though it mystified us at first, this turns out to be a sulphur caterpillar! Did this guy think yellow butterflies needed equal time? Anyway, looks like he'll be hanging around for a little while, ahem, and we're happy to oblige with a little social-media mention. <br />
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We have no idea what the chrysalis will look like or how long it will take to emerge, so this will be a learning experience for us here at Archie's Garden....stay tuned! <br />
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P.S.: Would anyone like to suggest a name?Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-90021299949475918982012-08-18T10:30:00.001-07:002012-08-18T10:36:43.812-07:00Video with Mar Vista Monarch Maven Loree Bryer!There wouldn't be an Archie's Garden without Loree Bryer, our local citizen scientist who singlehandedly brought monarch gardening to Mar Vista. Check out this video from <a href="http://latebloomershow.com/">The Late Bloomer Show</a> featuring Loree and her garden, and learn a few new things about monarchs (I didn't know about the "egg timer"!) You can also learn to be a "citizen scientist" by signing up with the <a href="http://www.mlmp.org/">Monarch Larva Monitoring Project.</a><br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0fVwRZGCxAk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-12632260301565855452012-07-31T13:23:00.000-07:002012-07-31T13:23:34.628-07:00Archie-Inspired Art Gifted to the Garden!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfLX8DinJFA0vhgkgsk393VX-muWhAE5gGsKFBZEdLuMNF85GotuSqKyRvOZHn4S8dXNjTS6h2oHM2K3TQ4xxU3LfYOWNHhMBsgkkBhUreNOU8xy_-36RcpJ4hg2rzQgS5xIgYSyEEKI/s1600/archies+garden+butterfly+stake+joseph+108k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfLX8DinJFA0vhgkgsk393VX-muWhAE5gGsKFBZEdLuMNF85GotuSqKyRvOZHn4S8dXNjTS6h2oHM2K3TQ4xxU3LfYOWNHhMBsgkkBhUreNOU8xy_-36RcpJ4hg2rzQgS5xIgYSyEEKI/s320/archies+garden+butterfly+stake+joseph+108k.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Just a quick post to thank our new friend Joseph for the cool and colorful garden stake he made for the garden. It's now installed in the succulent boxes on the back of our gazing bench, overlooking the milkweed patch. Joseph went home with some seeds, a milkweed plant, and a spare caterpillar (also named "Archie") and we hope we will hear some happy progress reports soon. <br />
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Joseph also just "Liked" Archie's Facebook page too, and posted some questions; you can do the same at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ArchiesGarden">www.facebook.com/ArchiesGarden</a>. <br />
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Thanks again Joseph...and happy growing!Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-23690087949650777982012-07-03T22:47:00.001-07:002012-07-03T22:47:48.041-07:00Fluttering ThingsAs Summer roars along, Archie's Butterfly Fort is full of activity. A few weeks ago, we noticed a lot of wasps in the area again, and, at the same time, some of our milkweed plants had monarch eggs and caterpillars.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi374VrnqASZUX-j1pLELKwSikVbMep75_R3XbiWESbJduzJ5uQ3Wxg4B9oMlvzBIaFkmAg6mE_lqNdASZ0S5Ez-iNIhIefaXAyO1UjdkxI-4zIHv0-nuNHP6YBc_SuJ6VwgJUJSRjjsak/s1600/DSC_2561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi374VrnqASZUX-j1pLELKwSikVbMep75_R3XbiWESbJduzJ5uQ3Wxg4B9oMlvzBIaFkmAg6mE_lqNdASZ0S5Ez-iNIhIefaXAyO1UjdkxI-4zIHv0-nuNHP6YBc_SuJ6VwgJUJSRjjsak/s200/DSC_2561.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potter's Wasp Nests<br />
(<i>Eumenes bollii</i>)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMv20CuxCYs69ozjvdbgg7kuI8uo18BrKHSy0Wn5BHL6UOdVDLrSLNVwm2zXc9OQo47NdXNj3ojWKGM9GRJFKL0R_bmXUMdsvEpNaAfpJiLJUnex_SljkVz8ydTgwtXiybtG62wFZzN0Q/s1600/DSC_2904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMv20CuxCYs69ozjvdbgg7kuI8uo18BrKHSy0Wn5BHL6UOdVDLrSLNVwm2zXc9OQo47NdXNj3ojWKGM9GRJFKL0R_bmXUMdsvEpNaAfpJiLJUnex_SljkVz8ydTgwtXiybtG62wFZzN0Q/s200/DSC_2904.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Great Golden Digger Wasp<br />
(<i>Sphex ichnneumoneus</i>) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bJE-ScqHqOVVBMRsHWWTs3BR2HJgUZrnlUUyLA4pYzLs79GY6nMmGgfOdJsV2zyeFjGA8LAun5GXA8_Xr7lNje-nFu9ywWKaoTmVVeAeZRi5QT7Cb-aP2D6D814OtDdv4ZfYVHJBwQc/s1600/DSC_2609+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bJE-ScqHqOVVBMRsHWWTs3BR2HJgUZrnlUUyLA4pYzLs79GY6nMmGgfOdJsV2zyeFjGA8LAun5GXA8_Xr7lNje-nFu9ywWKaoTmVVeAeZRi5QT7Cb-aP2D6D814OtDdv4ZfYVHJBwQc/s200/DSC_2609+-+Version+2.jpg" width="133" /><span id="goog_595748072"></span><span id="goog_595748073"></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hallo!</td></tr>
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The milkweed plants that were in pots got moved into the Butterfly Fort. We were surprised how many caterpillars were in there. The plants got eaten down to bare sticks, and the top of the tent filled up with J-ing caterpillars and chrysalids. Over the last week, we've been having several eclosures every day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiHV4LxRm37Uxp3CxpMi175ebNzt3bghVBFY8IKBmqjlroONBa_9jWEnUPix5HKcIeiZwsyc9-wzxpaxsACWjPTvttlRcf5M8ev0SwfBRg2uYz0-YTP4Mg1ROTJjQPPJRisKAQO_MCAI/s1600/DSC_2660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiHV4LxRm37Uxp3CxpMi175ebNzt3bghVBFY8IKBmqjlroONBa_9jWEnUPix5HKcIeiZwsyc9-wzxpaxsACWjPTvttlRcf5M8ev0SwfBRg2uYz0-YTP4Mg1ROTJjQPPJRisKAQO_MCAI/s200/DSC_2660.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June 16th</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDZS4MWi0OsGp5RSgrvKGzIu_k51jkits6h2fjDR_rkzMpdWv-ZuWgCmkQB4J7ZGNiDUYXLvUGDAeeD4yNORaEpvivmbG4fn6kvGG5HNEJPxnFPgSa7c37Mvkzis5BNOGMBcaDDqid0Q/s1600/DSC_2828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span id="goog_595748089"></span><span id="goog_595748090"></span><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDZS4MWi0OsGp5RSgrvKGzIu_k51jkits6h2fjDR_rkzMpdWv-ZuWgCmkQB4J7ZGNiDUYXLvUGDAeeD4yNORaEpvivmbG4fn6kvGG5HNEJPxnFPgSa7c37Mvkzis5BNOGMBcaDDqid0Q/s200/DSC_2828.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June 30th<br />
(with the camera at a funny angle).</td></tr>
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The garden has been full of fluttering things. Sometimes, three or four Monarchs will be patrolling at the same time, often chasing each other around. But they're not the only butterflies. Here are a few things we've seen lately:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0Hsr33dcI2NmaptIUh-NWfPk2-BuyWQxQOynthkeOMqqW4pDvB4Pkxu5kpi2OXqulhvpaIpXtAvztXp7QnzJstL8XuJzzQTF60uNE039G2Y8sGKoxhXuYrSMElKisobstLwxr6OI59k/s1600/DSC_2952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0Hsr33dcI2NmaptIUh-NWfPk2-BuyWQxQOynthkeOMqqW4pDvB4Pkxu5kpi2OXqulhvpaIpXtAvztXp7QnzJstL8XuJzzQTF60uNE039G2Y8sGKoxhXuYrSMElKisobstLwxr6OI59k/s200/DSC_2952.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monarch on Lantana</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9CVJeNEGQbvlkazja2inia4UTXuRlTg1unXM21fK81UJqSrH0Ei1L0tBtFfRYCBemz7lQuPEu6P0n8tZHTFqFQdNkFcSAIBRZNO-DjuXX8Pn515cX9-njVsl7RSGy4-JdWNasKb08X4/s1600/DSC_2958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9CVJeNEGQbvlkazja2inia4UTXuRlTg1unXM21fK81UJqSrH0Ei1L0tBtFfRYCBemz7lQuPEu6P0n8tZHTFqFQdNkFcSAIBRZNO-DjuXX8Pn515cX9-njVsl7RSGy4-JdWNasKb08X4/s200/DSC_2958.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marine Blue on Cuphea</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6-bqvkIQeTIGv8cJZ8Qs0ZBDi9GtaQ5nKLIChJzJzAxB1eSz8aDuEmrOOwXjk5dTTRe7rtXGnsbqwZUvJps-PovycdMAgO-Z_5EduMZEGCHjhJ3bgAyRNPR91IQ-XRAEOPzSjeErGJ0/s1600/DSC_2589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6-bqvkIQeTIGv8cJZ8Qs0ZBDi9GtaQ5nKLIChJzJzAxB1eSz8aDuEmrOOwXjk5dTTRe7rtXGnsbqwZUvJps-PovycdMAgO-Z_5EduMZEGCHjhJ3bgAyRNPR91IQ-XRAEOPzSjeErGJ0/s200/DSC_2589.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mourning Cloak on Easter Lily</td></tr>
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When I was looking to take a picture of the Marine Blue, a small skipper landed on my finger. It was vibrating its wings very quickly. Another skipper noticed the one sitting on my finger, and zoomed back and forth in a frantic aerobatic dance. I had my camera taking pictures at its fastest speed (almost five pictures per second), but the skipper was much to fast. Here is just over one second's worth of pictures:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEr0-TbeV1OslzDilglUrTv7ok6NpCnze_vXPyDACjcED8PAL26_YI5-IAIjeCHsPq18SdzdQPojktyVqV4iJ0Pu4z-RDcB3pW8wCFoigZqBkUJKteLEKdZ21YHd9xZUjxWJd4bXeaCc/s1600/skipper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEr0-TbeV1OslzDilglUrTv7ok6NpCnze_vXPyDACjcED8PAL26_YI5-IAIjeCHsPq18SdzdQPojktyVqV4iJ0Pu4z-RDcB3pW8wCFoigZqBkUJKteLEKdZ21YHd9xZUjxWJd4bXeaCc/s400/skipper.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoom!</td></tr>
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Last, but not least, here's a picture that I call The Battle of the Budlea (that's the name of the purple flower). It wasn't really a battle, since there's plenty of flowers to go around, but the way the picture turned out, it looked to me like the bee was being chased away by the butterfly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BoUEt8vTN_9_j-YlyxsewzFtUHFmSQH6fS5Q9jUURwNw2pE4qahIat61Ic7IbWJvwkxh3vk5IHRbXG8vTzOVXsZiplM_RPo0FZQ-o-vmj3clO_OzMsUXHIGq2bmV33Ua7I_OnXlY8Qg/s1600/DSC_2959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BoUEt8vTN_9_j-YlyxsewzFtUHFmSQH6fS5Q9jUURwNw2pE4qahIat61Ic7IbWJvwkxh3vk5IHRbXG8vTzOVXsZiplM_RPo0FZQ-o-vmj3clO_OzMsUXHIGq2bmV33Ua7I_OnXlY8Qg/s320/DSC_2959.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's Mine, All Mine!</td></tr>
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(As always, you can click on the pictures to make them bigger)Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-17018337123174679482012-05-20T16:33:00.001-07:002012-05-20T16:33:21.690-07:00Spring continues in Archie's Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo7Wvg6h-AlXuLDJHFrGnM3wC3eG6cP9-ESogcIAyK2n0GfLVfdRtn3R0cg5OBU9_GdKwJqjn3aI4EJx-GxB-YTO-2ALep9n2F79e35bLXlRQuaXIkk_qegt4D2JRRYqPBQwrHKbDwMQ/s1600/DSC_1915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo7Wvg6h-AlXuLDJHFrGnM3wC3eG6cP9-ESogcIAyK2n0GfLVfdRtn3R0cg5OBU9_GdKwJqjn3aI4EJx-GxB-YTO-2ALep9n2F79e35bLXlRQuaXIkk_qegt4D2JRRYqPBQwrHKbDwMQ/s320/DSC_1915.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This honey bee is having fun playing with its food. The roses are always popular with the bees, although the sweet peas are also a favorite.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMAAZTUglgqELH2O8iMeYUmH9pZcjAm4HyziMJ3LH02woChsNFiEvJIQqmRPwYROI-gLJi0VQzh2BtTLUcdF-wdwqNqA-9XakYjxw5NZge6omyMbobfnvlnCEjS9CuuETOgIyU_Zq4ug/s1600/DSC_2282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMAAZTUglgqELH2O8iMeYUmH9pZcjAm4HyziMJ3LH02woChsNFiEvJIQqmRPwYROI-gLJi0VQzh2BtTLUcdF-wdwqNqA-9XakYjxw5NZge6omyMbobfnvlnCEjS9CuuETOgIyU_Zq4ug/s320/DSC_2282.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This monarch pupated on the back of this lattice. There was some very cold weather before she emerged, and then she emerged around twilight. The night was pretty cold, and the next day, she crawled around on the lattice for a while before we moved her out to some milkweed. She took it very slowly, only fluttering off after many hours.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAsVf2IjhE0KFLZxlGtxF_I73yWLFH2b-3rICBL8_Td02Xhnl3dvl1AUdAkPZnBcrZBKo8SPnas3hkJyps_2fT0g3dSfLqFITg7vFhCDiV3xHyTen5ob41pXZynaXdBOFcZKk38AqbE0/s1600/DSC_2497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAsVf2IjhE0KFLZxlGtxF_I73yWLFH2b-3rICBL8_Td02Xhnl3dvl1AUdAkPZnBcrZBKo8SPnas3hkJyps_2fT0g3dSfLqFITg7vFhCDiV3xHyTen5ob41pXZynaXdBOFcZKk38AqbE0/s320/DSC_2497.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This white cluster of flowers is Yarrow (<i>Achillea</i>), and it also is popular among the bees.<br />
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This big character is a carpenter bee. It may look like a bumble bee, but it's a different kind of large bee. It sounds like a small helicopter when flying by. We have seen people frightened by them when they visit Archie's Garden, probably because these carpenter bees are so big and loud. There's no reason to be afraid, though, because they're friendly, and very rarely sting people.<br />
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Bees aren't the only ones who like sweet peas! This Archie is taking a rest between patrolling expeditions around the garden. <br />
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As you can see in the picture on the right, this Airabella has been though some rough times. Her left wing has been battered, and there's even a hole right though it. She was still managing to fly around, though, and was laying eggs on the milkweed!</div>Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-81591537253955635062012-04-24T16:32:00.000-07:002012-04-24T16:32:41.069-07:00Alligators and Keeled-Over Cats!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_603372508"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNOL9woULaeC8U12v4p1IFeCHEykD-aT6Dc1VHCtvRfywR8lLTpUyfH3shKZn93jpRm0PRdeAbLGKfknlYwI6LWlLII0M-wqx-0vh1Wki2B7MSZNCDoZn63V8mDP_YWbNpCWMtyz6OfA/s320/butterfly+daphne+napping+394k.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.349574141758826.79694.134160873300155&type=1" target="_blank">Archie and Daphne, April 2012</a></td></tr>
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There's a whole crop of new photos on our Archie's Garden Facebook page in the album called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.349574141758826.79694.134160873300155&type=1" target="_blank">Spring Is Sproinged</a>, where you can see lots of flowers and exciting novelties like an "occupied" bird feeder, a rare alligator lizard sighting, and of course this thrilling photo of a napping cat (with a newly eclosed Archie looking on from a milkweed plant.)</div>
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Keep an eye out for more posts soon, including photos of our milkweed sprouting project. Milkweed grows slowly; it's not easy keeping up with the never-ending demands of hungry monarch caterpillars without dropping lots of money at the nursery. In an upcoming post we'll show you how we're trying to solve that problem; in the meantime, give<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArchiesGarden" target="_blank"> our Facebook page </a>a "Like" if you want to receive the latest updates in your News Feed. </div>Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-24050307788554685852012-02-29T20:42:00.000-08:002012-02-29T20:42:29.199-08:00Need To Tidy Those Drooping Daffodil Leaves?Now that the narcissus and daffodils have finished blooming, their lazy leaves are drooping all over the place and causing a slip/trip hazard in the garden. What can you do? You can't just cut them off--the bulbs need those leaves to absorb energy for next year's bloom. Wurra wurra wurra.<br />
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We have an easy answer, one we saw along the garden paths at Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland. Unfortunately we don't have any photos from Ireland, but we'll show you how to tie your own Newgrange Knots in this one-minute video. Enjoy, and Happy Spring!<br />
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<br />Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-46650497371320686622012-02-05T14:26:00.000-08:002012-02-05T14:26:50.236-08:00February in Archie's GardenThe weather has been swinging from hot to cold, and Archie's Garden is a little confused. Some plants have just finished dropping their leaves for Winter, and some Spring flowers are already blooming.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damaged Pupa</td></tr>
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As we wrote in January, the Monarchs don't seem to have let the weather interfere with their activities. We still have caterpillars at all stages.<br />
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We've had a number of pupae turn brown suddenly, and apparently die. It's not the normal darkening that happens just before the butterfly emerges - it's sometimes streaked brown, or sometimes solid brown. We're not sure if this is caused by disease or by some kind of parasite. Many of these darkened pupae have holes in them that might support the parasite theory. It could also be that a very cold night kills the pupa, and the discoloration happens later.<br />
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Despite the heat and the cold, we're still having Monarchs make it all the way from egg to butterfly. It has been nice and sunny today, and we had a butterfly emerge today. She had pupated in the back yard in the first week of January. The pictures below are of her and her journey to the front garden.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relocating on Gooseplant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQkjS4SpxHYonjX6Mf-w5mkcTT8PEXthIycJnt7HQyjZJ9ncuJ_QUzL5RAihAInhHQ8LVAKUnkrE3pz2GUKTbj0UD2OUTPlOxqTM1hp5PRb_Kj0IyUR7A6ah_GaxvLbAbZ126EFjdsn4/s1600/DSC_1495" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQkjS4SpxHYonjX6Mf-w5mkcTT8PEXthIycJnt7HQyjZJ9ncuJ_QUzL5RAihAInhHQ8LVAKUnkrE3pz2GUKTbj0UD2OUTPlOxqTM1hp5PRb_Kj0IyUR7A6ah_GaxvLbAbZ126EFjdsn4/s200/DSC_1495" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wings Drying</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stare into my eyes...</td></tr>
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We were expecting the Winter to be a much slower month for the butterflies. We have heard different things about Monarchs migrating in Southern California, but we expected them to migrate away or at least stop laying eggs until Springtime. We were wrong! Because we still have so many caterpillars, some of the milkweed has not recovered from the last generations.<br />
Several of the milkweed plants appear to be weakened or ailing, and the orange milkweed aphids are infesting them in great number. Since we know there will be a lot more caterpillars coming once the weather really warms up, we're putting milkweed production into high gear!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdXvpJqOiDB1MdDTWZOxrSC7WhBAulMLKzar-lrblODhy_BUGElzQd3gr7GJAVQMZz67Pfb1w6211IY_kzPe70KUf_AirR7EMxJ3rOTQuPfD_-kaBZAw5IblLXwxcpf9N8e2uweg32-8/s1600/DSC_1431" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdXvpJqOiDB1MdDTWZOxrSC7WhBAulMLKzar-lrblODhy_BUGElzQd3gr7GJAVQMZz67Pfb1w6211IY_kzPe70KUf_AirR7EMxJ3rOTQuPfD_-kaBZAw5IblLXwxcpf9N8e2uweg32-8/s200/DSC_1431" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milkweed Aphids</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milkweed Farming</td></tr>
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<br />Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-87327068037396556712012-01-01T14:37:00.000-08:002012-01-02T10:25:11.454-08:00Monarchs in WinterWe've been having typical Southern California winter weather: within a single week, we will have nights where it freezes, nights with heavy fog, and days ranging from 50 degrees to 70 degrees days.<br />
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On sunny days, we'll have monarchs in Archie's Garden -- sunning themselves on the milkweed, nectaring on flowers, and laying eggs just like it was summer. We have a lot of caterpillars! The milkweed doesn't seem to be able to grow fast enough to keep up with them.<br />
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Most of the caterpillars seem to be surviving even the freezing temperatures. In the early morning, before the sun warms them up, they can be found in strange positions on leaves, or even fallen down onto the pavement. Although they appear dead, they start behaving normally when the sun shines on them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead? Nope, just cold!</td></tr>
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These two guys look like they're frozen, but they're just waiting to warm up, and then they'll go back to eating.<br />
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We are still having caterpillars pupate. During this cold weather, the pupae are taking much longer to become butterflies -- we had one emerge yesterday after being in the Butterfly Fort for several months! This also is related to the temperature, we think. The pupae that are in sunny areas become butterflies faster than the ones in the shade.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one took its time!</td></tr>
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We're also seeing a larger number of caterpillars who don't pupate successfully, or pupae that are dying. It could be the cold, but there could also be disease. There have recently been a number of caterpillars who died suddenly, with symptoms that match those <a href="http://www.evansonart.com/monarchdisease.html">described on this page</a>, and could be Nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV).</div>
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<br /></div>Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-35263489418539917002011-12-30T19:08:00.000-08:002011-12-30T19:08:55.581-08:00Archie's Garden has a font, and you can too!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZkOyEwtxvVUkjUB6aQBPs29uF0WI8D1NLwVQDZMnQbTTI9ZP1wst6zEsboMLn1kVkmcIaHo1Ku1GWNR645DCJPbTTNZzW-Nl9_H1kuiFKkY6mqQFgqEEMeW4M_bY_f2hq86VKqmVVno/s1600/ag-presents2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZkOyEwtxvVUkjUB6aQBPs29uF0WI8D1NLwVQDZMnQbTTI9ZP1wst6zEsboMLn1kVkmcIaHo1Ku1GWNR645DCJPbTTNZzW-Nl9_H1kuiFKkY6mqQFgqEEMeW4M_bY_f2hq86VKqmVVno/s320/ag-presents2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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(click on the sample to enlarge)</div>
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Archie's Garden has a new font, which you can <a href="http://www.writlargefonts.com/">download</a> for free and use on your computer! It's called "Royal Flutter" and has a collection of Monarch Butterfly images that you can use to decorate your documents.</div>
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Let us know if you create anything spectacular using it!</div>Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-61444098785213459692011-10-29T22:18:00.000-07:002011-10-29T22:18:17.993-07:00Exotic Insects<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguEy0nJe6wPcY_7J44K83OLQuJq3bdK2VwfdR2Fdgq8XD7t_fdaOFoxf9weBKkzkc_JspGJjdQVQv-LzjLhpgT2y6K3iPK2nZSF5DGiw-4vlHAjkloywYtu6llduuCjg8VRBYAOeipdyk/s1600/DSC_0530" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguEy0nJe6wPcY_7J44K83OLQuJq3bdK2VwfdR2Fdgq8XD7t_fdaOFoxf9weBKkzkc_JspGJjdQVQv-LzjLhpgT2y6K3iPK2nZSF5DGiw-4vlHAjkloywYtu6llduuCjg8VRBYAOeipdyk/s200/DSC_0530" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking Stick (<i>Carausius morosus</i>)<br />
click to view large </td></tr>
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We were surprised this morning to find this character crawling on the kitchen wall.<br />
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A quick check using the Internet, and we were pretty sure that it's a non-native species -- and one that could be a big problem: a Walking Stick. After reading <a href="http://articles.dailypilot.com/2009-01-30/features/dpt-gardening01312009_1_walking-stick-newport-heights">this article</a>, and <a href="http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/locke.hp/walk_sticks.htm">this one</a>, we decided we couldn't let this bug back out into the garden.<br />
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Some people think all bugs are bad, and should be crushed, poisoned, or swatted. Some people think that all bugs are good, and should be left alone to do what they want. If you've been to Archie's Garden or read the articles here, you know that we love bugs here -- but that still doesn't mean that we think all bugs should be treated the same way.<br />
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The walking stick insect is native to southern India, a place almost exactly half-way around the world from Archie's Garden. Where it comes from, it's part of a complicated balance. The walking stick insects eat the plants that grow there, but there are birds, spiders, rodents, and reptiles there that survive by eating walking stick insects. Because of these predators, the population of walking stick insects stays in balance.<br />
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Here in Southern California, there are plants that the walking stick insects like to eat. They like roses, berry vines, and ivy, but they can eat lots of other plants. But unlike in India, there aren't many birds, spiders, rodents, or reptiles in California that eat walking stick insects. This means that there is nothing to control their population. If we don't control them, pretty soon there will be walking stick insects everywhere. <br />
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This kind of creature -- one that is not native, and that has few natural predators -- is called an "invasive species" if it is too successful in its new home. Because they can do a lot of damage, people worry about invasive species.<br />
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What should you do if you find an insect (or plant or animal) that you think might be invasive? The first thing you should do is visit the web site of your state or county's Agriculture Department. For California, the <a href="http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ReportaPest/index.html">Department of Food and Agriculture has a web page to help</a>.<br />Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-59892484742684098122011-10-14T11:45:00.001-07:002011-10-14T11:45:40.484-07:00And Another New Video: Eclosure!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here's another new video — this one featuring butterflies emerging from pupae.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/_XN1ZptNoh4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_XN1ZptNoh4&fs=1&source=uds" />
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<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_XN1ZptNoh4&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-89641515811129491632011-10-10T13:20:00.000-07:002011-10-14T11:45:56.707-07:00New video from Archie's Garden: Hungry caterpillars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here's a new video about hungry caterpillars.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/vHV56AQhtiE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326948033637273820.post-48093040450851683772011-08-21T13:00:00.000-07:002011-08-21T13:00:37.643-07:00New VideosHere are some new videos from Archie's Garden.<br />
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The first one is showing what's going on in the Butterfly Fort:<br />
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The next one is a very close-up view of a monarch egg hatching:<br />
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Archiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019342960483315618noreply@blogger.com0